Smartphone Patent Lawsuits See Little Reward

Smartphone makers who have sued rivals in the industry's patent war are finding minimal support from courts. Ashby Jones reports.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the app has been quite a bit of leaky stand in the smartphone pie ... worse but like them all all ... all this litigation has been the less likely to be worth it Wall Street Journal law reporter Ashby Jones is here ... actually lead us in the smartphone patent cases haven't always gotten but they're fighting for militant and this is the battle that broke out of three years ago among all the players the smartphone wars mean you know Nokia approval Apple ... nun Samsung's are all suing each other of claiming that they've ripped off that each other's ... products and then designs and inventions ... aam and ... into what's happening in three years and it it's it's hard for a need for for that to see that anybody's really made any progress and some that haven't been ... any huge wins we had a big win last year for Apple got about a one billion dollars verdict against Samsung right ... aam but since then the number of things have happened to sort of upset that verdict and it's un clear story what whether in what Apple's is exactly can recover and that ... so aam yet it's been a long slaw for the people were were bringing these cases and it's unclear right now what what the point is real ... and has that is that I'm settlement between Apple and payments from Samsung Apple has that been part of what's continuing to motivate people there's that one landmark case out there saying look Apple bottom billion dollars with people to keep going for it yet yet you know I'd I'd I thinks that's part of it another part of it is that I think that ... people think that ... aam even if they can knock up a plot of kin in John she gets a products were a few months or cause a competitor to sort of ... delay a product launch because of an infringement ruling on ... that side then it's worth it just it just to make life difficult for other people is is worth it ... and once you're on the receiving end of that motor to turn around a playoff and stew so ... aam it sort of everybody's involved everybody's running and it's just it's really for right now to know ... aam who's ahead who's behind and out ... and and whose tumors from this thing better off than they were before ... and isn't part of the issue here is that different time frames meaning ... the legal time frame that I'm a slow turn on the lawn and the quick turn obviously of technologies I think eroding her story that ... he'll by the time by the time these pieces are actually finish some of the food that they were fighting over again only our grandmothers reason Renault is really using them anymore that's right that's right I mean litigation with U S delegation takes a long time ... and as we know these products turnover every six to eight months or so and so you sue over certain products ... and if you win injunctions against it or something not to Michelle for comfort while the pair who were not something the product anymore anyway so ... aam it so yes I think it's been I think it's been a little frustrating for companies who brought these cases ... that said they continue to fight them aam a lot of these cases are still sort of in the middle innings ... they're still lot of pee all and what not and and and we could see some emerge from all the assistance being you know Rylee Victorian spot ... on as of right now it's it's hard to see her really gets the points we have here we have the numbers some ... of the sales for humble Apple and Samsung as you can see Samsung there for that for the first quarter two thousand thirteen ... I can suddenly million phones sold and found an apple muffin from three point four million ... on and is a mean you also ready which is interesting that they'd given how long this is this is taken given the lack of kind in the sights the Samsung Apple case the landmark case ... that there's a growing frustration with ... the pattern was as the asthe illegal reporter Wetzler some of the issues that are coming up there with them ... what will I think that there is a there has been even before I started a growing recognition to a lot of patents that were ... awarded over the past ten years or so ... aam made the courts and they don't necessarily speak to an innovation that that that is that sort of innovative or that that that groundbreaking ... and so all of these haven't specifically software patents are getting challenge ... and win their challenge Dom a judges are saying well we don't really buy this we don't think this really holds water in a lot of a lot of companies that are coming forward and saying ... aam garden you know you're you're preaching does pet nearby infringes patents reducing well that hadn't isn't really that good ... to begin with so ... its lead to conduct open water re examination of the patent system ... aam and done people say that the of changes and reforms are under way and ... and things are getting better and I do think that they all are ... we still have a legacy I think of bomb of the patent system that was ... frankly Brell awarding too many aam